A Perfect Valentine's Day Story

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With so many people trying to find their better half on Match.com, I could not resist posting this article from Germany about a new hook-up service on Berlin's mass transit!

A Valentine's Day Site for Berlin Commuters
By Khue Pham in Berlin From Der Spiegel
Now strangers eyeing each other on the Berlin U-Bahn will have a way to track each other down on a new online portal. An official "missed connections" site for subway sweethearts will launch on Valentine's Day.
It started with a love letter. "Help me find the love of my life! I saw her sitting on the bus other day," a love-struck man from Berlin wrote to the city's transport operator, Berlin Vekehrsbetriebe or BVG. The note arrived last summer when the company was brainstorming for ideas on presenting itself as more customer-oriented -- the idea for launching a "missed connections" Web site was born.
"We wanted to relaunch our website with a more personal and emotional character. After we got the letter we decided to create 'My BVG-Moments' because it would be a very fun and user-driven addition to our site," said Matthias Müller, manager of the company's communication department, to SPIEGEL ONLINE.
Starting this Valentine's Day, BVG passengers will be able leave messages for fellow travellers on "My BVG-Moments" by registering with e-mail addresses and a password. (Those who just want to have a read don't need to register.) The posts will be sorted by date and time and users can write a personal message in which they describe their special "moment."
The site will mimic "missed connections" features on classified ad Web sites like Craigslist. A typical post might read, "You were sitting on the southbound S1, wearing a red coat and reading a book. For some reason you never advanced to the second page -- was that because we kept looking at each other? I, brown hair, black coat, would like to see you again."
Those who recognize themselves in the posts can reply to the authors via email. To prevent abuse, the system will have a flagging system to black-list offensive users or posts.
Müller is keen to stress that the BVG will not turn into a dating agency. "'My BVG Moments' won't operate like a dating site, where people can do a search for 'blond woman' or post pornographic content."
Müller has one piece of advice for new users. "People looking to meet a partner on public transport should wear something eye-catching," he says. "That'll make it easier to describe them in the posts."